A Recipe for Hawk; What's Cooking in the Mix.

It’s been a strange couple of days for me.  My groove is off.  But I think I know the reason.  Come on…. Follow along, I’ll show you.

I’ve mentioned my love of music before.  It is one of the things I love most in the world.  I’ve gone back and done some digging in the last few days and found that on average, I listen to Spotify 4.72 hours per day.  That doesn’t include podcasts, I use Overcast for that and if you are a podcast listener and you are not using Overcast, trust me and get it.  Plus, some old EDM (Electronica/Trance/Techno) that I still listen to often and love, but that’s old Essential Mixes (BBC Radio) or old albums that you can’t get on Spotify due to licensing and all that.  So, iTunes is in the mix as well.  

Honestly, J and I watch a show at night.  These days we are on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  Sitcom.  Funny enough.  But, 22 min each.  We’ll watch 2 and then call it a night and we will chat with music or chat with music and I’ll jump on the PS4 and J will scroll and we’ll just kinda chat between games, load screens, scroll topics, etc.  Before that, it was the same, only the show was Better Call Saul and those come in at 42-65 min each, so about the same amount of time.

So, our daily TV time is 45 min.  The Kiddo, sometimes, will get an hour of shows when I’m doing dinner prep.  She, between shows and a weekend movie or a Friday movie with nanny Beer, I would bet that she has more TV time than J and I do in a week.  That’s how much music we listen to daily.

Here’s the rub….

Mornings while scrolling or reading, while geeking, and especially while cooking, I have music on.  Why especially while cooking????

Because of the movie Hudson Hawk.  

I know… I know…. The bad Bruce Willis movie with Danny Aiello?

Firstly, I will die on this hill, it’s not a bad movie.  It’s an absolute spoof.  It takes on the spy/action genre.  AND it stars Bruce Willis, who redefined the genre with Die Hard and kinda brought action to what we think of today and have for the last 30+ years.  The movie spoofs Die Hard and the Bond movie franchise plus the buddy cop of Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours.  See, it was made 3 years after the release of Die Hard and so casting Willis is just meta as all get out and this was before meta was a thing.  It poked fun at every trope and cliche.  It wasn’t, like the Scary Movie franchise that spoofed I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream, announcing itself as a spoof, instead trusting it’s viewers to get the joke.  The viewers and critics both missed it.  

Ok, so what does my weird movie trivia/appreciation have to do with music and cooking.  

Well, I’m so glad you asked!

See, in the movie, Bruce Willis’ character plays a cat burglar who uses song as a timing method.  It’s explained in the movie a bit better, if you need context.  Or, comment below and I’ll try to link a clip.  But, the songs.  Swingin on a Star is the first instance of this in the film, but Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello’s characters discuss a year and version of the song that they would use and sing to pull off the job.  It’s clever and kitschy and fun.  I know, Kitschy.  Spelled it right, as well.  

J once asked why, when I was cooking, I never listened to anything new and wouldn’t listen to her suggestions for songs that would fit the mood or playlist best.  

Because, I use the music as a timer!

I’m not one of those crazy music guys who will argue that the 5:13 version of song blah blah is better than the 5:08 rerelease or the 5:15 remaster.  It’s more a general sense.  Oh, Depeche Mode… 5 min.  Death Cab, what song??  Oh, longer, 8 min.  Oh, quick and poppy.  3:45.  Poe, Thom Yorke, Bjork, Nirvana, Big Head Todd, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Oakenfold tracks, even classical from time to time.  The playlist (Cooking Mix) varies based on tastes and moods that week or month.  When I used to make J burgers on Saturday nights for our dates, I’d have burgers sous vide.  Bacon to cook.  Mushrooms to sauté.  Potatoes, sweet potatoes, a salad or some other side that was a timing thing, and then cooking (grilling and finishing) the burgers.   I could do that all without a stopwatch or egg timer, based JUST on music.  

I’ve been told, more than once and by professional chefs, that this is an impressive skill.

I’m proud of that.

But, with the recent passing of Foo Fighter drummer Taylor Hawkins, part of me longs for that grungy, crunchy, dirty, 90s, edgy and lyrical, music.  Part of me can’t listen and just needs to push back as some darker thoughts start to invade.

So, it’s hard to find music to read to and chill to and cook to and walk to and just have on in the background. 

I’m such a music guy that it’s been hard to find the right groove and because of that, it kinda just makes me feel off.  Like I can’t settle or that I need to find the right thing, but I just can’t.  Part of that is my OCD and ADD.  The rest is just me.  So, if you have music suggestions… I won’t cook to that, I don’t know it well enough (in all likelihood), but I can give it a try.  Hans Zimmer, Radiohead’s Kid A and The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots are in my queue for today to try.  Some older and mid-80s Depeche Mode as well.  So, outside of those, toss me ideas.  I’m all ears.  HAHAHA!

That’s been the last few days for me.  I’m sure more will come.  I’ve got an appointment at the mall in about an Hour to drop off my Apple Watch (touch screen not responding) and then tonight, I’ll be in music and just in my head.  So, I’m sure by tomorrow or the next, I’ll have something wacky or poignant or just silly to write.  Until then….

******

An aside-

I’ve gotten some messages on Facebook and one or two via email about some of my comments on the state of the world and political issues.

So, in 5 total cases, I’ve been blasted for being a Libtard, Demonrat, etc etc.  However, in 4 of the 5 cases, people have questioned why I would schill for “President” Biden.

Let me retype that for clarity.

QUOTE President UNQUOTE Biden.  “President” Biden.

You can believe what you like.  History (I’m not talking a few decades, I’m talking 100+ years from now) won’t be kind to America during this time, especially MuriKKKans and those on the right.  That’s my belief.  And from 2015 (when he announced his running) until Jan 6 2021 (can’t forget hat day) I never ever once referred to Donald Trump as “President”.

You can believe what you want.  But….

RESPECT THE OFFICE

Not to get deep on it, but that’s the GOP, GQP, and Right.  “President” when their guy doesn’t win.  “Nancy” as a disparaging nickname (someone STILL needs to explain that to me) but if I utter Donny, I’m called a traitor.  

Flip that coin and have some good faith and follow the same rules.  If you don’t want YOUR guy called “President” of Donny or Tiny Hand Orange Fuckhead Spawn of Satan Fake Billionaire Shit Stain Human Being, then don’t start with the “Sleepy Joe” and all the other BS.  Ya know… GOOD FAITH!

So, remember that next time you got something snarky to say or want to comment on “President” Biden.  Respect the office and don’t “President” him unless you want your guy “President*d” as well.

*****

Lastly, I couldn’t go before address the 2022 Oscars and Will Smith climbing on stage to slap Chris Rock.  

1. It was a joke… And yes, jokes can be hurtful, doesn’t warrant…
2. Assault caught on tape
3. Almost ANYONE else would have been hauled off in handcuffs
4. If the joke was made about a male who had just shaved his head, no one would have said a word.
5. Jada said that she accepted her hair loss and shaved head…. Doesn’t much seem like it.
6. What if Ellen Degeneres was host and made the joke and Will slapped her?

Again, Good faith.  Other side of the coin.  In ANY other case would we have been ok with it?  Two black men who are close to peers… Shrug.  

And, the restraint of Rock to not knock Will Smith the F out or at least make it a shit show as two 50 somethings wrestle and slap at each other on stage.

Lastly, I agree with Jim Carrey.

Thanks for coming to my impromptu TED Talk.

See ya soon.